Hey all! I’m a sophomore in high school right now, and I have played viola for 3-4 years. I quit in the summer after freshman year and kind of regret it now. Previously, I thought playing was super boring and started to hate it, but after quitting, I miss the times when I played at concerts and was with my orchestra friends. I also think my life is pretty boring now without practicing and having something to do outside of school and academic-related extracurriculars. Also, I was pretty accomplished before, but after a few months of break, I think I would be pretty bad if I picked up the instrument again. If I go back, I hope I can continue playing competitively and be in my school’s top orchestra, but when I quit last year, I left on bad terms with the orchestra director.
Do y’all think I should join again? I really regret my choice and want to play again, but is it not worth it after a long break, especially when I might not be able to achieve my goals if the orchestra director got mad at me when I quit? And how would colleges think of my choice of quitting and then picking it back up again?
Orchestra/Band are a great place to make friends…so I definitely can see where you are coming from.
I would suggest taking some private lessons to get up to speed.
Then go talk to the Director and tell them why you quit, and why you want to come back.
Tell them that you are committed and understand you won’t be first chair (if you were) but are happy to start from the ground up. Be ready to audition (that is why you want to have the private lessons).
Also apologize for the way you left the orchestra.
If you communicate and apologize to your orchestra director, I’m sure he’ll appreciate that very much and welcome you back with open arms. I’m happy to hear that you’re missing music in your life and that you want to pick it up again. Regardless of your playing level and whatever the circumstances, keep up with music. It can do wonders in your life!
By all means, re-join! It has only been a few months since you left. I think (especially when you are young) it can be a good thing to quit something you’re not sure about and come back to it…that way, you confirm to yourself your commitment, and you clarify to yourself the value of what you are doing. That way, you own it. Without the short-term “leave-of-absence” you might continue to resent the activity. Hopefully, the orchestra director will welcome you with open arms if you are polite, humble and sincerely apologetic. I suggest writing a letter to the director (while you are practicing your skills.) Good mentors of young people are thrilled to see teens who are maturing in good ways, and will bend over backwards to forgive if they see that you mean it.
My daughter did something similar. She took violin lessons for ten years, starting at age three. She didn’t hate it (I wouldn’t have forced her) but it really was more MY thing for her, than hers. But she loved the violin teacher, and that kept her going. She never was forced to practice excessively. Then the teacher retired and moved away. DD was in ballet and band so I regretfully let her quit violin. But this summer, on her own, she picked up her old violin books and said, “you know, I was getting kind of good, it’s a shame to let it go to waste.” By then she hadn’t touched her violin in 1 1/2 years. She had a few summer lessons with an equally wonderful teacher who understands she’s strictly recreational (no more ballet, but she’s still in a demanding marching band so has little time) and she’s now happily playing violin in a no-pressure community orchestra of teens and adult hobbyists . And now, she knows it’s “her thing” rather than mine.
It’s all a part of exploring, growing and learning who you are. It would be sad for you to deprive yourself of this wonderful activity!
Also, @wannabeacoolkid …you will be surprised how fast you can get up to speed. After a few short weeks of dedicated practice, you will be playing as well as before. You will never regret doing it, but you will likely regret NOT doing it (unless another EC is strongly calling out to you.) Have fun
Also I would imagine that the orchestra director may be partially mad because you left…they had a good orchestra member who left…and would be delighted to get back again. Assuming your behavior was not out of line of course.
